


Twelve Hours

by orphan_account



Category: Marianas Trench
Genre: M/M, anyway im just VERY excited about the concept of aro matt, aro matt!!!!!, i had no idea what to rate this because nothing's graphic but it's not exactly completely sfw U Kno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 13:32:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6806923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh and Matt meet at a party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twelve Hours

Laughter and loud conversations bounce off the walls of the hallway as Matt approaches Jack’s apartment. His friend had texted him the previous day inviting him to a “Vancouver musicians” party that would be held at the address Matt sees stamped on the door in front of him. Matt knocks twice and the door opens, revealing a broadly grinning Jack.  
“Heyyy, man, glad you could make it!” He exclaims, pulling Matt into a hug.  
“Glad I could too,” Matt replies, returning Jack’s smile.  
“So,” Jack begins, clapping his hands together and stepping to the side to let Matt in, “basically I just invited all my musician friends over so we could, I dunno, make the scene a bit more connected, I guess.”  
The two enter Jack’s crowded apartment, maneuvering around girls in tight shirts and guys in black skinnies to get to the small kitchen in the corner.  
“Anyway, we’ve got snacks, just about any drink you can think of, instruments…” Jack trails off.  
“This is great, thanks for inviting me,” Matt tells him, surveying the room.  
“Yeah, of course,” Jack replies, leaning against the counter. “So, what’ve you been up to? It’s been awhile since we’ve caught up.”  
“Mostly I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my acoustic EP. I spend most of my time at the studio but I don’t really mind it.”  
“That’s good, I’m happy for you, dude. I can’t wait to hear it.”  
“Yeah, I want you to hear it too. I’ll talk to the label and see when I can get you an advance copy.”  
“Sweet. You want a drink?”  
“Sure,” Matt responds, and Jack busies himself filling a plastic cup.  
“So… no special someone in your life?” He asks, handing Matt his drink.  
Matt sighs and smiles a little at his friend’s constant concern for his romantic life. “You always ask me that. And the answer’s always no.”  
Jack shrugs. “You know me, I love to meddle. And you’re 28, man. Just thought you would at least be going on dates at this point.”  
“I do go on dates,” Matt protests.  
“Yeah, dates that start at midnight at some club and end with you kicking them out of your apartment at seven a.m.,” Jack retorts.  
Matt has to give it to him. He doesn’t really know what a date is, nor does he have any desire to; he loves his friends and he loves having hookups.  
“I just - well, you know how people always say that love is, like, the missing piece? That you’re not whole till you find your soulmate and fall in love and all that? I dunno, man, I’ve just never really felt like that. I don’t want to date people and cuddle and eat candlelit dinners and stuff.”  
“Huh. I, uh… can’t really say I feel you there, but I guess I understand what you’re saying.”  
“I know it’s weird. I guess I -”  
“Have you ever heard the term ‘aromantic?’”  
“Aromatic? Like when something smells nice?”  
“No,” Jack laughs. “Aromantic. Like not romantic.”  
Matt pauses, thinking. “I don’t think I have.”  
“Well, I’m no expert, but it sounds a lot like what you’re talking about. It’s basically people who just don’t feel romantic attraction. So I would look into it if I were you.”  
“Alright,” Matt nods. “That’s cool, I thought I was just crazy.” He laughs.  
“Nah,” Jack smiles, “I’m sure you’re good.”  
“Hey, we’re out of tequila over there,” says a new voice. A tall blond guy is standing in the cramped kitchen next to Jack, a red solo cup in his left hand. His fingernails are black and so is his entire outfit.  
“Oh, okay, I’ve got more,” Jack says, turning and reaching up to the cabinet behind him. “Oh yeah, Josh, that’s Matt, Matt, that’s Josh,” he tosses over his shoulder.  
“Hey, man, good to meet you,” Josh says, extending his hand.  
“You too.” Matt returns the handshake, not missing Josh’s shockingly blue eyes, black eyeliner, and glittery eyeshadow. Jack returns and places a handle of tequila in Josh’s hand.  
“Thanks!” Josh tells him. Before he turns away, he licks his lip and _Holy shit,_ Matt thinks. _He’s got a tongue piercing._  
“Hey, I’m, uh, gonna go - just catch up with a couple people for a minute -” Matt jerks his thumb in the general direction of the living room.  
“Josh?” Jack asks, seeing right through Matt, who pauses too long so Jack continues. “Yeah, he’s really something.”  
Matt takes a sip of his drink and hmms in agreement.  
“Well, go after him!” Jack exclaims, motioning to where Josh is making his way towards a group of girls.  
“Really?” Matt looks skeptically at how friendly Josh is being with the girls.  
“Yeah! Just - well, he just got out of a long term relationship. Really rough breakup. So just know what you’re getting into.”  
“Everyone needs a rebound, right?” Matt says, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.  
“That’s the spirit!” Jack claps Matt on the shoulder and gently shoves him in Josh’s direction. Matt takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders, and walks over to where Josh is standing. He doesn’t have any good one-liners on hand and he doesn’t want to take any chances, so he steps to Josh’s side and says, “Josh, right?”  
“Yeah! Josh Ramsay,” Josh turns to face him, his blue eyes bright. “And you’re Matt…”  
“Webb,” Matt finishes for him.  
“Ah. Right. I heard your last record, it was really good.”  
“Thanks!” Matt smiles. “So was yours.”  
“Ladies, will you excuse me?” Josh says to the gaggle of girls he was chatting up earlier. They nod but look disappointed he’s leaving.  
As Matt and Josh walk to a less crowded corner of Jack’s apartment, Matt says, “Sorry if I interrupted your efforts to get them to come home with you.”  
“Nah, I was just being friendly. And I chose you anyway, right?”  
“Yeah.” Matt tries not to think about the implications of that. Instead, he lets his eyes trace over Josh’s heavily lined eyes, defined cheekbones, and crooked smile.  
“Sooo….” Josh begins, laughing a little.  
“Oh, uh - sorry. I probably shouldn’t say this but - you look really good tonight,” Matt tells him sincerely, but Josh catches the flirtatious note in his tone.  
“Aw, you’re sweet.” Josh smiles even wider. “And I believe that if you want to say something you should say it.”  
“Oh really?”  
“Yeah. So… I’d kinda like to say that I hope you live nearby.”  
“You’re forward.”  
“And you’re not? I’m not blind, I see the way you’ve been looking at me.” Josh takes a sip of his drink but maintains eye contact with Matt.  
“Well,” Matt looks down at his feet, blushing. “You’re in luck. I live a few blocks down the road.”  
“And I’m just about ready to get out of here,” Josh says, setting his drink down on the counter behind him. Matt does the same and Josh reaches for his hand. Matt is surprised but lets his fingers slip into the spaces between Josh’s. He shoots a smile and a wave at Jack as Josh leads him towards the door and Jack gives him an approving thumbs up, throwing in a wink for good measure. 

The time between Matt shutting Jack’s door behind him and he and Josh stumbling into his apartment is blurred, Matt’s head spinning the whole way home. Within seconds he has Josh pushed up against the front door of his apartment, tugging off his jacket and eagerly pressing their lips together. They leave a trail of clothes like breadcrumbs on the way into Matt’s bedroom, where the pair collapse on top of his soft comforter. They keep making out as Matt pulls his boxers off, Josh’s following quickly. Give it a couple minutes and Matt has Josh moaning and gripping the bedsheets. Sometimes he smiles, too, and God, is he beautiful when he smiles. Matt is in heaven. Josh is heaven. Sexy, glittery heaven. Matt leans down every now and then to press kisses to Josh’s red, parted lips, but mostly he just watches Josh’s face. He is in a state of pure bliss and ecstasy and Matt loves that he’s causing it. Soon it’s all too much for both of them and Matt moans Josh’s name one last time before taking a minute to catch his breath, then rolling off him to the other side of the bed. Josh is worn out and breathing heavily but he sits up slowly, intending to collect his clothes and make his way back home.  
But Matt reaches out for his arm, mumbling, “‘S fine if you stay the night.”  
Josh feels all warm inside. “Okay,” he says, and lays back down on Matt’s comfortable double bed. Both boys are out like lights in minutes.

Matt opens his eyes just a crack but it’s enough to let the sunlight stream in, almost blindingly bright, and he groans in general discontentment at the world. He’s squinting his eyes and stretching his arms out when he freezes because someone shifts on the other side of the bed. _Oh shit,_ he thinks, his eyes landing on Josh’s mussed blond hair and remarkably pale skin. _How am I gonna deal with this?_ Matt hated handling mornings after the few times he’d had to do so; it was always incredibly awkward and a lot of the time the person was really clingy. He’d just been a little drunk and sex-dazed and he didn’t want Josh to have stumble home past midnight, so he told him to stay without thinking about the repercussions. Now he has to pray Josh won’t be weird about all this. _Well, I probably shouldn’t just sit here,_ Matt thinks, slowly standing up and stretching his back. He makes his way to the kitchen, his bare feet loud on the wood floor to his hungover mind. Once he’s standing in front of the stove he almost turns around and goes back to bed, but instead reaches down to pull a pan out of the cabinet. His eyes adjust to the Vancouver sun, already high in the sky, as he turns on the stove and pulls a carton of eggs out of the fridge. He hums to himself as he scrambles the eggs and toasts two slices of bread. Matt’s buttering the toast when Josh stumbles into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.  
“Oh, wow,” Josh says, his voice rough and his eyeliner smudged. “You made breakfast. That’s so sweet.”  
Matt grins at Josh as he places two plates on the counter. “Good morning, dude.”  
“I think we’re a little past ‘dude,’ don’t you?” Josh smiles.  
“I guess so.” Matt sits down next to him and reaches for his fork.  
“Sooo….” Josh says to break the silence.  
“Did you sleep well?” Matt asks.  
“Wonderfully. Your bed is obnoxiously comfortable.”  
“Glad to hear it,” Matt replies.  
They eat in silence for a minute or two before Josh speaks again.  
“Great looks, great sex, great cooking… You really are the whole package, huh?”  
Matt laughs, blushing a little. “My Yelp reviews are usually pretty glowing.”  
“I’d give you… hmmm… a solid 3 stars.”  
Matt fake gasps. “I’m wounded! You’re gonna lower my average rating by so much!”  
Josh laughs and Matt smiles at him. After a few seconds’ pause, Josh says, “So I’m not sure if Jack told you, but I’m just getting out of a pretty nasty breakup.”  
“Oh,” Matt says, taking a sip of water. “Yeah, he did mention it.” Matt thinks Josh is gonna tell him that he’s just looking for a rebound now because he doesn’t want to get his heart broken again, and Matt will inwardly sigh with relief and they’ll finish breakfast and Matt will show him to the door and wave him off. But the fates are not so kind to Matt this morning.  
“However,” Josh begins, “I think I’m kinda ready to get back into dating. You know, gotta prove to myself that not all the fish in the sea are rotten.”  
Matt doesn’t know but he nods anyway.  
“So I’d like to see you again, but maybe in a more… well, dinner-and-a-movie type setting?” Josh proposes.  
“Look, Josh,” Matt starts, and he sees the flicker of worry in Josh’s eyes. “You’re a great guy, from what I know. You’re an amazing musician, you’re absolutely gorgeous, and I really do like being around you.”  
“But…” Josh says for him.  
“It’s not you. I promise. I just… don’t date.”  
“One too many heartbreaks?” Josh guesses.  
“No,” Matt sighs. “I honestly thought there was something wrong with me for the longest time. I’ve never really felt romantically attracted to someone, and it kind of sucks because everyone’s always talking about how amazing it is to meet your soulmate and find your other half and how exciting love is and all that shit. But… it’s never really seemed exciting to me.”  
“Hmmm,” Josh nods, taking it in.  
“Jack told me last night that I might be… aromantic, I think the word was? I don’t know.” Matt laughs nervously. “It feels weird to tell you all this stuff when I just met you like twelve hours ago.”  
“No, don’t worry about it, thanks for trusting me. So… I guess what you’re saying is, you’re looking for a friend that you can have sex with and none of the touchy-feely lovey-dovey stuff?”  
Matt thinks a minute before responding. “Yeah, I guess.”  
Josh sighs. “Well, my loss. I’m way too much of a romantic for you. Thanks for letting me down easy though.” He stands up to put his plate in the sink. “Oh yeah, and thanks a lot for breakfast.”  
“Wait,” Matt says, and Josh turns around with one eyebrow quirked.  
Matt walks over to him and sets a hand on his shoulder, leaning up to place a brief kiss on Josh’s lips.  
“Thank you,” he says as he pulls back.  
“You’re welcome.” Josh smiles but Matt doesn’t miss how bittersweet it is. He picks up his jacket, which he had thrown over the couch several hours earlier in his hurry to get to Matt’s bed, and heads towards the door.  
“Well, goodbye, Matt Webb. I’ll see you around.” He twists the handle and pulls the door open, but pauses and sticks his head back in. “And you might even wind up in a song someday, who knows.”  
“Bye Josh,” Matt says with a small smile, and he’s answered by the door to his apartment clicking shut. _He might just make it into a song too,_ Matt thinks. _Who knows._


End file.
